U.S. and state flags on Anna Maria Island were flying at half-staff as a mark of respect for a monarch who defined an era.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 at the age of 96 and people around the world responded with an outpouring of tributes, statements of admiration and displays of respect.
In the United States, President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. flag at half-staff until sunset on the day of interment.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also issued a directive, ordering flags at half-staff in a statement that said the queen will be “remembered for her devotion to public service, commitment to duty, and her diligence to deepen the alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States of America.”
On Anna Maria Island — a destination for many in the commonwealth and a home for some — people paused to respect and reflect.
Holmes Beach resident Jeannine Inda lived in the United Kingdom for 10 years and owns a corgi named Millie — it’s estimated that the queen owned at least 30 Welsh corgis during her life, all descendants of her first corgi, Susan.
Inda said Sept. 8, “HM Queen Elizabeth II was an incredible human and I feel honored to have lived in England during her reign.”
My son, Oliver Morrison-Tirpak, 11, was born in London at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea hospital. He remembers learning about HM Queen Elizabeth II at school in England.
“It was cool to visit the Tower of London in year 3 and we learned about the queen’s life, but I’ll always think of her love of corgis when I think of her,” Oliver said after the queen’s death.
“The queen” was a constant throughout the lives of not only Oliver but anyone under 75, as she took her place on the throne in 1953, following the death of her father, HM King George VI.
And consider that in 1950, she met former Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and recently met the new prime minister, Liz Truss, born in 1974.
Elizabeth II was born in the 1920s, when Britishness was embodied by industrial England and World War 1 had just ended.
During her seven-decade reign, she welcomed a world unrecognizable to the past but remained determined to keep the royal institution in play.
She adapted to change.
It is for this, her ability to weather the unknown, that I’m grateful and inspired by her example and was saddened to hear of the queen’s death.
I was granted British citizenship Dec. 18, 2018, and lived in London for 11 years.
In 2019, I arrived to Anna Maria Island with no exact idea how long my son and I would stay.
But it’s 2022 and we’re still here, and still adapting to change.
May Queen Elizabeth be remembered for her dedication and service to the United Kingdom.
In 1947, she said, “My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
Our thoughts are with King Charles III and the royal family.
Long live the king.